The Kingdom of God? or Violence and War? The Jews in Jesus day knew the Kingdom of God was soon coming. They knew Elijah would usher it in. (Malachi 4:5) When the Jews asked John if he were Elijah John said No (John 1:21). Later when Jesus heard that John had been killed in prison He was obviously moved with emotion and grief because He begins to ask the people who they thought John was in a kind of angry and judgmental way. He knew they knew who John was.  Jesus knew the crowd knew that John was someone the world would never see the likes of again. John thought the coming Kingdom was going to be conquered as it always had, through violence, killing, and death. The presence (kingdom) of God abode in the ark of the Covenant the Jews carried with them that men (Physically) fought for. The Kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. Jesus said the New Kingdom, the The New Testament and Covenant of God will be within you. Put down your weapons of death and destructing. My Blood will conquer this death and destruction. My Blood will put this to an END once for all. The Christians battles and wars are no longer fought with physical swords but spiritual ones. The kingdom of hell on earth has been destroyed by God's Kingdom of Heaven on earth. People today love violence and war and destruction. We're the Sodom and Gomorrha of violence. So much so that even those men God has entrusted to them are beginning to say we're going back to the old wine (Violence) the New Wine doesn't taste as good anymore. Go ahead, light the match. Instead of throwing living water on it throw some more gasoline. Why was John the Baptist greater than all the other prophets before him? John's message wasn't Revenge it was Repentance. I'm just blown away at some of the doctrines and gospels Leaders, the men and women God has been asking, (More than 3 times) do you Love me?... Teach them and feed them My Gospel. John has already prepared the way for God's Kingdom on earth and Jesus snuck it in. It's like the wind, You can't see it but you can feel it within you. It's like John the Baptist. Physically he was not Elijah but in the spirit and power of Elijah, he was. That's why John could say he wasn't Elijah (Fleshly) and Jesus could say he was (in the spirit and power) Elijah. Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven. That transpired on the day of Pentecost. It's free. We don't have to fight for it. The full Kingdom of God isn't going to be ushered in by violence. It's going to be ushered in through Repentance. Unless someone attacks me first or is trying to kill me I let God take care of my enemies and He does. Leaders should be preaching repentance. We say forget it, I've had enough God's not helping us I'm going get justice myself. It's obvious to me and the things God has shone me over the last 5 or 6 years that people have made up their mind. A mindset of revenge and violence the Holy Spirit will have no part of. Our culture has been poisoned with old wine and the younger generations coming up are drunk on it. People are trying to do the same thing today they were doing in Jesus day. The Kingdom of God will come but not with the help of the weapons of war used in this world. Repent or Revenge? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord with the commands (And the weapons) He has already given us. All those who live by the sword will die by the sword.